Flexible package for liquid products

ABSTRACT

A package ( 1, 1′ ) in flexible material for liquid, pasty products or the like, closed above by a linear head weld ( 7 ) which joins two opposed walls ( 4, 5 ), at which a pair of opposed welds ( 10, 11 ) is provided, in proximity of at least one upper corner ( 8 ) of the package, these opposed welds ( 10, 11 ) tending to meet at the centre line of the package and determining a flattening of the corresponding upper corner ( 8 ).

The object of the invention is a flexible package particularly for liquid, pasty products and the like, in particular food products such as beverages, fruit juices, yoghurt, etc.

The package according to the invention can be, for example, a package of the stand-up type, i.e. self-supporting when filled with the product, having a reinforced support base wherefrom two side walls rise up, heat welded along the upper and side edges, or it can be a “form and fill” parallelepiped container with lower and upper closures of the gusset type.

Packages for liquids available commercially, of one or the other types mentioned above, have an upper weld at a certain distance from the level of the liquid, leaving a head space, which makes the package soft, preventing storage thereof and/or stacking one on the other.

These packages are normally opened by cutting an upper corner at said weld or by tearing the package at a preformed notch.

This generally produces an uncontrolled release of the liquid on opening of the package and does not guarantee the retaining of the liquid in the package after a partial use.

The object of the invention is that of eliminating the aforementioned disadvantages, providing a package particularly for liquid products or containing at least in part a liquid, pasty product or the like, which allows a controlled release of the product and secure retaining of the product in the package when the latter is not used after opening.

Another object of the invention is that of providing such a package which is self-supporting, so that several packages can be stacked one on the other during storage and/or transport.

These objects are achieved by the package according to the invention, which has the features of the annexed independent claim 1.

Advantageous embodiments of the invention are described in the dependent claims.

Substantially, the package according to the invention, of the stand-up or parallelepiped type, having a linear head weld parallel to the level of the liquid, also has, at at least one of the two upper corners of the package, in proximity of the end of said linear head weld, two side welds which join at the centre line of the package, determining a V configuration, the vertex thereof is positioned at the end of said linear head weld.

The abovementioned linear head weld is formed in close proximity of the level of the liquid, such as to reduce to a minimum the head space of the package and make it self-supporting, in such a way that several packages can be stacked one on the other.

Further features of the invention will be made clearer by the following detailed description, referred to its embodiments purely by way of a non-limiting example, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGS. 1 and 2 are two perspective views from opposite angles of a package according to the invention of the stand-up type;

FIG. 3 is a front plan view of the package of FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 shows the package of the previous drawings in conditions of use, after opening;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a package according to the invention with parallelepiped shape of the “form and fill” type;

FIG. 6 is a front elevation view of the package of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a side elevation view;

FIG. 8 is a view from below;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a package according to the invention such as that of FIG. 5, with a different closure weld.

In the accompanying drawings the same reference numerals are to be used to denote equal or corresponding parts.

Referring first of all to FIGS. 1 to 4, a package or container 1 is illustrated of the so-called stand-up type, i.e. self-supporting, having a support base 2 with a perimeter weld 3 which develops along the lower edge of the package and rises along two opposite side zones 3′.

Two opposed walls 4, 5 rise up from the base 2, joined one to the other by welds 6 developing along two opposed side edges of the package which is then closed above by means of a linear or transverse head weld 7 which extends between the aforementioned side welds 6.

The linear head weld 7 is formed in close proximity of the level of the product contained in the package 1, so as to reduce the residual head space of the package, thus making the package more rigid and able to support the weight of other packages stacked thereon.

The component material of the package I is normally a material in flexible multi-layer sheet, with the internal layer which can be heat welded.

According to an essential feature of the invention, on the opposed walls 4, 5, in proximity of the two opposed upper corners 8 of the package, determined by the intersection of the abovementioned side 6 and head 7 welds, pairs of side welds 10, 11 are formed between superimposed zones of each of the abovementioned side walls 4, 5. These pairs of side welds 10, 11 are slanted upwards and towards the exterior of the package and tend to join at the centre line of the package itself, forming a V with the vertex in proximity of a corresponding upper corner 8 of the package.

In the embodiment shown in the drawings, the pairs of side welds 10, 11 are provided at both the upper corners 8 of the package 1, yet it is clear that they could be provided at only one of these corners.

FIG. 4 shows schematically the package 1 open during dispensing of its content. In practice a cut is made at an upper corner 8 of the package, possibly involving also the ends of the pairs of opposed welds 10, 11, so as to determine an aperture 12 through which the liquid 13 is dispensed.

Provision of the pair of side welds 10, 11 determines a flattening of the package in proximity of the corresponding upper corner 8, such that when this corner is cut to determine the aperture 12, there is no release of liquid from the container, a release which only takes place in a controlled manner, pressing the opposed walls 4, 5 of the package, as shown schematically in FIG. 4.

When the pressure is released, the liquid is sucked back into the interior of the package, avoiding drips. Even when the open package is stored, accidental pouring of the liquid is avoided if it is not compressed.

FIGS. 5 to 8 show a package, denoted by reference numeral 1′, having exactly the same innovative features of the stand-up package of FIGS. 1 to 4.

In this case the package is of a substantially parallelepiped shape, of the so-called “form and fill” type, obtained in a manner in itself known from a strip of material in a multilayer sheet, with an internal layer which can be heat welded, which is made to advance along a spindle normally positioned vertically, around which it is closed by means of a longitudinal weld 6′, which is positioned vertically on a wall of the formed package, so as to form a tubular part which is closed below by means of a first transverse weld and, after having been filled with the product, is cut and closed above by means of an additional transverse weld which constitutes the abovementioned head weld 7. At the lower transverse weld 3 a gusset fold 20 is then formed, in itself known.

The linear head weld 7, as in the case of the package of FIGS. 1 to 4, is formed in proximity of the level of the liquid, so as to reduce the head space, and the pairs of opposed side welds 10, 11 determine, as in the previous case, V configurations with the vertices in proximity of the upper corners 8 of the package.

The behaviour of the package 1′ as regards the dispensing and the retaining of the liquid corresponds exactly to what is described with reference to the package 1 of FIGS. 1 to 4.

The embodiment of FIG. 9 differs from that of FIGS. 5-8 due to the fact that the longitudinal closure weld 6′ is positioned at a vertical edge 20 of the package 1″, which has “fin” bends and welds 21 at the other vertical edges.

Naturally the invention is not limited to the particular embodiments described previously and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, instead numerous detail changes can be made thereto, within the reach of the person skilled in the art, without thereby departing from the object of the invention itself, as defined in the annexed claims. 

1. A package (1, 1′) made of a flexible material for liquid, pasty products and the like, closed upside by means of a linear head weld (7) connecting two opposed side walls (4, 5) of the package, thereby determining respective upper corners (8) at its ends, characterized in that it provides near at least one of said upper corners (8), on the two opposed walls (4, 5) of the package, respective welds (10, 11) which tend to joint at the package center line, forming a V with the vertex near said upper corner (8).
 2. A package (1, 1′) according to claim 1, wherein said pair of opposed welds (10, 11) determine a flattening of the correspondent upper corner (8) of the package.
 3. A package (1, 1′) according to claim 1, characterized in that said linear head weld (7) is provided near the level of the liquid held within the package.
 4. A package (1, 1′) according to claim 1, wherein a pair of opposed welds (10, 11) are provided at each of said upper corners (8) of the package.
 5. A package (1, 1′) according to claim 1, wherein the deliver of the product is carried out by making a cut at one of said upper corners (8) to determine an aperture (12) delimited by said pair of opposed welds (10, 11).
 6. A package (1, 1′) according to claim 5, wherein said cut also involve said pair of opposed welds (10, 11).
 7. A package (1) according to claim 1, which is of the stand-up type.
 8. A package (1′) according to claim 1, which is parallelepiped in shape.
 9. A package (1, 1′) according to claim 2, characterized in that said linear head weld (7) is provided near the level of the liquid held within the package. 